


Sweet Ambrosia

by ScarlettSiren



Series: Nōmenclātūra [5]
Category: ATEEZ (Band), K-pop
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Blood Drinking, Drinking, Drunk Sex, Explicit Consent, First Time Bottoming, Injury, M/M, Minor Violence, Polyamory, References to Bigotry, References to Discrimination, Seonghwa is Basically a Parent, Sequel, Vampire Bites, Vampire Hunters, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-10
Updated: 2020-03-10
Packaged: 2021-02-26 13:54:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 19,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22950091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScarlettSiren/pseuds/ScarlettSiren
Summary: Seonghwa was not one to partake in the consumption of vampire blood. He first learned of the practice during the 1920’s, after witnessing the hedonistic and debauched practices of the underground covens in that day and age. Such a sordid introduction had left a less than ideal impression.There were few things that Seonghwa had not tried or experienced in his millennium’s worth of lifetimes. Hongjoong happily introduces him to several.
Relationships: Kim Hongjoong/Park Seonghwa, Park Seonghwa/Kim Yonghwan | Eden
Series: Nōmenclātūra [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1344856
Comments: 99
Kudos: 433
Collections: Collection - Another Name for the Devil, The K-Pop Storybook





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I made a post on twitter, just thinking out loud about how Seonghwa would react to getting drunk on vampire blood, and the response was very positive. So I decided to write this!! Somehow it got out of hand and became a lot more than just a cute little ficlet, but that’s my brand, so… I can’t say I’m surprised how it turned out.
> 
> If you somehow ended up here and you haven’t read Another Name for the Devil, I highly recommend that you do so before reading this! It won’t make much sense out of context!

Immortality had its many advantages, and its perks. Even in a day and age where humans tended to discriminate against vampires, most of them still managed to live rather comfortable, privileged lives thanks to the combined wealth their covens afforded them.

With that being said, being a vampire was not without it stressors, its pitfalls and its trials. This had become incredibly apparent in the year following the slaughter of the Bureau’s council. Each of its members had held their positions for many years, and appointing new members to their seats was not something that could happen overnight. There were inquiries that had to occur, standards that needed to be met, and the Bureau itself held confirmation hearings for each of their candidates to vet each nomination.

The final rounds of hearings were occurring this month, and as senior members of the UN Vampire Council and the Bureau’s hunting division respectively, Seonghwa and Eden were expected to attend them.

The first week had been especially grueling. So many of the nominees were blatantly anti-vampire, and it was clear just what type of council the Bureau was trying to form. They also did little by way of accommodating the vampires’ nocturnal schedules and need to avoid sunlight, which made things difficult for them.

Seonghwa left Yeosang in charge on the days he had to make the trek to Seoul, staying in an apartment he kept in the city for emergencies. Eden was working double-time by attending the hearings _ and _all of the prep meetings at the Bureau beforehand, and it was clearly getting overwhelming. He looked like death by the time they rolled back into Seongnam after four long weeks of commuting for the hearings. He’d still insisted on driving, even though Seonghwa assured he had much more practice going long periods without sleep.

Eden had just nudged him toward the passenger’s side, telling him to shut up and get in.

The ride had been mostly silent; the music was turned off and Eden seemed to cringe every time a car horn honked or a motorcycle with a loud engine whizzed by them. Seonghwa could tell his senses were starting to overwhelm him, but he was too proud—or perhaps, simply too determined—to take a break.

When they arrived back at the mansion only to be greeted by Wooyoung and San’s enthusiastic wails of “Seonghwa’s home!”, he covered his head and visibly curled in on himself.

Seonghwa gently cajoled Yeosang into keeping them busy while he took Eden upstairs, bringing him a blood bag and sequestering him in the privacy of Seonghwa’s own room.

“You cannot keep going like this, my old friend.” He insisted, making sure he fed. “Consider sitting out of overseeing the voting counts in the coming week. However the Bureau has chosen to move forward on this path, is how they will proceed regardless of your presence. There is nothing any of us can do to change it.”

“I _ can’t, _Seonghwa. It’s too… there’s too much at stake.” Eden countered. “The most unstable time for an organization or government is during a regime-change. I can’t—”

“I know. Listen to me… I know.” Seonghwa soothed, gently caressing his face. “But you are pushing yourself too hard. You are newly-turned, your senses will take some getting used to and they are clearly overwhelming you. Take a moment to recenter yourself.”

“It’s just… there’s so much _ noise, _it’s hard to filter it after a while. It gets to be too much.” Eden admitted, finishing off the blood.

Seonghwa set the glass aside, taking Eden’s hands into his own. “There are a few things that are known to lessen the effect. Would you let me help you?”

Eden stared for a long moment, but Seonghwa’s earnest gaze eventually won him over. “Fine. Yes. But overseeing the voting count—”

“I understand if you feel you must go. Let’s just get you calmed down in the meantime, hm?” Seonghwa assured.

Eden nodded. He knew he could trust Seonghwa to help him, but also to respect his need to continue on his path. He had enough experience with hunters to know just how stubborn they could be.

Seonghwa ran him a bath, leaving for a moment to allow Eden to undress while he gathered a few things. He ran into Yeosang in the hall, who explained that Hongjoong had taken the humans out on an errand and they didn’t know when he’d be back. It was probably for the best that there were less people in the house, though. Eden was clearly already at his limit.

When he returned to the bathroom, Eden was wearing nothing save a towel and a tired, sour look. The tub was also nearly full. Seonghwa turned off the faucet, then got to work pouring certain oils into the water before sprinkling a mix of bath salts and dried herbs in.

The scent filled the room, but it wasn’t _ too _much for Eden to handle. It was actually quite calming. Lavender, chamomile and rose. Just enough to cover the lingering smell of cleaning products and shampoo clinging to the bathroom walls.

“Can’t remember the last time I took a bath.”

“It is a small luxury you should afford yourself more often.” Seonghwa told him, cradling his face gently. When Eden’s eyes flickered down to his lips, Seonghwa leaned in and kissed him softly, knowing that was his way of asking. “Is there anything else you would like?”

Eden frowned. “Honestly, I don’t even know if a bath is going to help all that much.”

“Trust me.” Seonghwa whispered, kissing him once more before standing. He took Eden’s towel, then helped him into the tub, encouraging him to settle into the water wherever he was most comfortable.

After a moment, Eden sighed. “I mean, it’s nice, but—”

“Patience.” Seonghwa soothed, chuckling softly. “When you’re ready, you’ll want to go all the way under. You don’t need to breathe, but your brain may not have caught up to that fact, so you may want to keep your mouth and nose above the water, but make sure your ears are under.”

“Ah. Like sensory deprivation.” Eden replied, revelatory.

“Quite so. There is some truth to the legend of us sleeping in coffins, you know. For a new vampire, it can be difficult to find sleep when all the noise of the world is amplified in your ears. Locking ourselves in small boxes padded with fabric was one way to alleviate that before the invention of noise-cancelling headphones and effective earplugs.” Seonghwa explained. “But water is a viable alternative as well, especially if one is claustrophobic. Sounds don’t travel as easily through liquid.”

“Huh. Guess one day I’ll learn to trust you on this kind of thing.” Eden teased, grinning.

“Yes, well, they may seem like old wive’s tales to some, but for those of us who have lived long enough, those old practices were once our only option.” Seonghwa said before he eased him down into the water. “Close your eyes.”

Eden did.

The world became muted, then… just a distant echo of tinny noise muffled by the water surrounding him and filling his ears.

It was glorious.

His brain also seemed to be fine with not breathing. He’d practiced free-diving in his youth, and could have held his breath for nearly five minutes as a human. As a vampire, his brain did not seem to panic much, as he hadn’t maintained that habitual action of drawing breath after being turned. In that regard, he had adjusted well.

Eden allowed himself to be swallowed by the darkness, and reveled in the peace and quiet.

***

It had been hours, but Seonghwa was still seated at Eden’s side, perched on the edge of the copper tub as though it were not the most uncomfortable position imaginable. He remained there so that when Eden awoke—as he did, then, sitting up and sputtering a bit—that he would be there to assist him.

The water had long since gone cold, but such a thing didn’t have much of an effect on vampires like them.

“Welcome back.” Seonghwa murmured goodnaturedly.

“The hell? How long was I out?” Eden grumbled, confused.

“A few hours.” Seonghwa answered, going to grab a towel for him as he stood.

“You let me sleep like that?” Eden asked.

“I am not certain you have slept well at all recently, so, yes.”

Eden raised an eyebrow at him. “And you just waited there?”

“I did not want to leave you, in the case that you woke up confused and disoriented.” Seonghwa explained, helping him out of the tub and drying him off. He toweled at his hair until it stopped dripping, then leaned over to unplug the stopper from the drain. “Are you feeling better?”

“I am.” Eden admitted. “I don’t need you to baby me, you know.”

Seonghwa gave an agonizing smile, then, inclining his head and petting over the other’s cheek. “I know that you are a perfectly capable hunter—and a perfectly capable _ man— _but you are my fledgling, now, Eden. I will always care for you. That is the commitment I have made, as a sire.”

Eden’s expression softened. “Not a lot of coven leaders that feel that way anymore, nowadays.”

“Old habits die hard, as they say, and mine are quite ancient.” Seonghwa replied in a tone full of mirth. 

It was Eden who leaned in to kiss _ him, _ that time. Seonghwa’s brows drew up in what may have been surprise, but he otherwise maintained his composure, returning the kiss with a gentle sort of surety.

“You should try to get some more sleep.” Seonghwa told him, murmured against his lips in between unhurried kisses.

“My room’s right next to San’s, so I doubt I would get any actual sleep.” Eden grumbled.

“You are welcome to mine.” Seonghwa said. “Is there anything else that I can do for you?”

Eden was still growing used to many aspects of this new life of his, and one of them was being allowed this… this closeness with Seonghwa, something he had denied himself for so long.

“I…” His throat clicked closed in hesitation. He still found it so hard to ask for things, for _ anything, _ from Seonghwa. Even though he knew he was _ allowed. _Encouraged to.

“You still struggle with this.” Seonghwa murmured in something like a whisper, and it was flatly not a question. “Tell me what you want.”

“I want whatever you’re willing to give me.” Eden said in a rush.

Seonghwa chuckled softly, shaking his head. He brought a hand up to stroke gingerly over the other’s neck. “You should know by now that I am willing to give you anything you need. I know that you are strong, Eden. No one doubts this… least of all me. But you are new to this life, and you already see fit to push yourself past your limits. Even knowing your strength, your determination… I worry for you.”

Eden’s shoulders slumped a little. “That was pretty much exactly what I was trying to avoid. I figured if I just threw myself into everything head-on and pushed through, you’d see I was fine, and that you _ didn’t _have to worry about me.”

Seonghwa gave him a look. “Eden, I am over a thousand years old, and I have known you for more than a decade. Surely you must’ve realized by now that I cannot be so easily assuaged?”

Eden shrugged. “It was worth a try.”

“If you believe so.” Seonghwa replied with an amused grin. “Now, as for my question…”

Seonghwa could never really get a direct answer out of Eden.

Rather, he could never get a direct _ request. _

If Seonghwa asked him if he would like something, he readily agreed. If he asked him specifically what he wanted, he wouldn’t tell him. So Seonghwa learned to read his non-verbal cues, took the time to discover the things he liked most and what he didn’t seem to enjoy as much.

Seonghwa set aside the notion of Eden asking him for what he wanted, and simply fell to his knees before him.

When he asked if that was all right, he received an emphatic nod.

Seonghwa took his time, knowing that for Eden, it was less about the act itself and more about the closeness, the connection, the time spent together without other obligations or interruptions.

Even on his knees, his attention solely focused upon Eden’s pleasure, Seonghwa still held so much power over him. It was clear in the way Eden trembled beneath his touch, the way he instantly surrendered to it.

Once Seonghwa was certain he was well and truly sated, he ushered Eden to his bedroom, tucking him into his own massive bed that seemed almost lonely with just a single person upon it.

“You should sleep. Rest well.” Seonghwa murmured, pressing a kiss to his forehead and brushing his hair back from his face with a fond smile.

Eden just grunted in affirmation, closing his eyes obediently as Seonghwa took his leave.

***

Seonghwa was losing track of time.

He glanced at the clock in the foyer as he made his way downstairs. A quarter after eleven. But was it A.M. or P.M.? A cursory glance out the window told him it was night.

He let out a soft sigh. He and Eden’s sleep schedules were already entirely out of whack due to the weeks of daytime meetings they’d endured, and Eden was insisting on overseeing the final voting counts in the coming week, so him sleeping at this time wasn’t the worst thing that could happen. At least he had the weekend to recover.

It _ was _ night, though, which meant the _ rest _of his coven would be awake and active. They had been awake, of course, when he and Eden arrived home some hours ago… around six or seven in the evening, just after sunset.

He hadn’t even made it to the last step when he heard Mingi’s shrill cry cut across the foyer from the common room.

“Fuck you, Choi San!” He bleated, and the moment he saw his sire in the doorway, he put on his best pout. “Seonghwa!”

He swallowed down a reprimanding comment about his yelling, instead speaking in a calm, concerned tone. “What is it, Mingi?”

“San is being an asshole.” He moped. Once Seonghwa was close enough, he all but enveloped him into a hug and pulled them both down onto the couch in a tangle of limbs. “I forgot to do something for him and he’s busting my chops over it, acting like I’ve committed a felony. He knows my brain doesn’t work like his!”

Seonghwa sighed, petting gently at his hair. “I know, darling, I know, I’m sorry. I’ll speak with him.”

“He just… he makes me feel like I’m so stupid, sometimes!” Mingi cried, and it was clear he was quite upset. “It doesn’t help that he’s got a fucking computer for a brain, because his memory puts all of us to shame, but it especially sucks for me because… _ you know.” _

Seonghwa leaned down to kiss his forehead, shushing him softly. “I have long suspected that the explosives which nearly killed you during the war caused considerable damage to certain receptors in your brain. The nature of vampiric healing is still largely unknown when it comes to neurological conditions… the brain is a complex, delicate organ… and things we feel should be healed by our abilities are so often not.”

“S’why I’m n’idiot.” Mingi slurred through tears.

“No, Mingi. You are not an idiot.” Seonghwa said, kissing down the line of his nose. “Your brain may store and process information differently than most of us, in a way that’s atypical from the norm. But do not think for one moment that it makes you any _ less, _Mingi. You are intelligent and knowledgeable and skilled at many things. And we do not love you any less, or any differently, from the others. Do you understand?”

“I guess.” Mingi mumbled, sniffling into his shoulder.

“Oh, come now. You surely know by now that you must not take everything San says to heart. He isn’t someone who understands the impact of words. They slide right off of him.” Seonghwa replied. “Now, that doesn’t make it all right, and it does not minimize the impact of his words… which is why I will be speaking with him about it. But I only wish you would not let it get to you as much as it does. It hurts me to see you like this.”

“M’sorry.”

“No, Mingi. Don’t ever apologize for your emotions. And don’t ever hide them from me.”

“I know. S’just I woulda maybe gone to Yunho or even Jongho if they were here.” Mingi said, looking up with something that was almost a smile. “San calls them my ‘emotional support humans’.”

“I’m sure you support them just as much in return.” Seonghwa answered warmly, kissing his hair. 

He wasn’t sure just how long he stayed there cuddled up with Mingi, but quite some time had passed before the other bashfully disentangled himself and apologized. Seonghwa shushed his apologies and ushered him on his way to ask Wooyoung to play a game with him, just something to put him in a better mood. Mingi agreed and went on his way.

Seonghwa had not even finished straightening his shirt when Yeosang came bursting into the room, looking harried.

“There you are! I thought you might still be with Eden.”

Seonghwa was too concerned at the seriousness of his tone to be irritated. “Yes, Yeosang, what is it?”

The other frowned guiltily. “I know you’ve been swamped with the Bureau hearings, but it’s rather serious—”

“It’s fine, Yeosang. Tell me, and I will handle it.”

“One of our familiars, there was a house fire… no one was hurt but their family home and possessions were destroyed.” Yeosang explained. “I went ahead and set them up in a hotel for the night, but I didn’t want to make any further financial decisions without discussing it with you.”

“An entire family, living in a hotel? Perish the thought. And a fire, oh, how terrible for them.” Seonghwa took the paper, which had the hotel information as well as the family’s. “Unfortunately, nothing can be done until after the sun rises, but I will send correspondence to my realtor to set up a suitable rental home for them while the insurance claim is settled.”

“Thank you, Seonghwa.”

“You know, Yeosang… you are more than welcome to handle financial matters such as this. A large portion of our current fortune came about because of investments I made with royal stipends from _ your _family.” Seonghwa reminded. “And even if that were not the case, you are my second—”

“I know. It’s just… you’re our leader.” Yeosang murmured, looking down. “It felt wrong not to run it by you first and foremost.”

“I understand. I’ll take care of it.” Seonghwa assured.

“Thank you, Seonghwa.”

And that was how Seonghwa ended up in the library, making arrangements for the family to be taken care of as soon as business hours rolled around. 

He had lost track of the time yet again when a familiar presence called his attention to the library doorway.

“Oh, Hongjoong… and company. You’re back.” Seonghwa was certain he sounded startled or at least harried, but the others seemed none the wiser. Yunho looked a bit frazzled himself, and Jongho was standing stock-still, arms crossed awkwardly.

“Yeah, we all just got in.” Hongjoong answered, cocking his head. “You didn’t sense or hear or smell us or whatever it is you do?”

“N-no, I’m sorry, my mind has been elsewhere.” Seonghwa answered, waving the query off. “I trust your errand went well?”

Hongjoong grimaced. “Not exactly. Let’s just say that a lot of the hunters I used to work around… they’re not too happy to see I’ve become a vampire. Been dealing with that for a while now, but the Bureau shake-up has them acting out.”

“Acting out?” Seonghwa asked.

There was a beat of silence where the three shared a look before Yunho burst out with, “There was a fight and Jongho got hurt—”

“Shh! Jeez, Yunho, I was gonna ease him into it.” Hongjoong grumbled. “But yeah.”

“Jongho? What happened? Do you need me to get Mingi?” Seonghwa questioned, beckoning him over.

“N-no, I think, uh. I think I can’t take his blood until my shoulder gets reset.” Jongho mumbled, and Seonghwa realized that his arms weren’t awkwardly crossed; he was _ cradling _his injured arm. “Pretty sure I dislocated it.”

“Oh, _ Jongho… _here, let me see. Take your jacket off.” Seonghwa helped him out of the jacket, then took hold of his arm, gently moving it and feeling around the joint. “You certainly did dislocate it. Luckily that seems to be all that you did. Yunho, please go to the kitchen and get me some ice, and Hongjoong, in my infirmary, in the cabinets on the far wall, you should find a sling in the second drawer. Bring it to me?”

“Sure!” The two of them piped up at once, then took off on their mission.

“Have a seat, darling boy.” Seonghwa told him, motioning to the desk. “We don’t have long.”

“Huh?” Jongho’s brow furrowed as he hopped up onto it.

“I only needed them gone for this next part. It’s rather stressful when everyone is crowding you.” Seonghwa insisted, angling his arm out straight. “I’ll reset on three. It will hurt, but try to keep this arm relaxed for me..”

Jongho gripped his knee tightly with his free hand, clenching his teeth.

“One—”

Jongho was unprepared when Seonghwa popped the joint back into place, causing him to howl in pain and clutch his bicep. “What the—you said on three!”

“You _ never _reset a joint on three. The patient tenses up too much.” Seonghwa intoned, tapping the side of his own nose with one finger.

“I can never trust anyone ever again.” Jongho whined, pouting.

“Got them!” Came Yunho’s shout from the doorway as he and Hongjoong returned. “Wait… it’s done?”

“Yes, but he _ will _need the sling, and the ice.” Seonghwa said, taking the ice pack and setting it on the boy’s shoulder before helping him into the sling. “Twenty minutes on, ninety minutes off. And go see Mingi right away, his blood should help the healing process.”

“Okay… I guess I’ll thank you for helping me even though I’m feeling a little betrayed.” Jongho mumbled, hopping off the table. “Yunho, you’re usually up Mingi’s—yeah. Anyway. You know where he might be?”

“I’ll help you track him down.” Yunho assured. “So did he really reset it? Just like people do in the movies?”

“Yep, just like that.” Jongho grunted.

“Did he do it before the count of three?” Yunho asked, too enthusiastically.

“He sure fucking did.” Jongho mumbled as they headed out of the library. “He did it on one! _ One!” _

Hongjoong chuckled, shaking his head as they disappeared into the hall. “Thanks for taking care of him. I’ve thrown my own shoulder back in against a wall before but that didn’t seem healthy, so I had him wait ‘til we got back, to a real doctor.”

“And what about you? Are you all right?” Seonghwa asked, surely being unsubtle as he looked him over for injury.

“Oh I’m fine. I punched the guy so hard I broke his jaw and knocked out at least three of his teeth. Served him right, too.” Hongjoong muttered, sighing. “Jongho just… didn’t take lightly to them talking shit and making threats, you know? And they were already half-cocked, so. It was just a bad situation. I guess I shouldn’t have expected bigots to somehow be less bigoted toward me just because they… knew me before, huh?”

Seonghwa sighed, pulling the other into a hug. “I’m so sorry, Hongjoong. I wish you would never have had to become a victim of such ignorance.”

“That’s not even my concern at this point.” Hongjoong replied. “Right now they’re big mad that their bigoted favorites didn’t make the cut through the hearings. They were hoping for them to get in since they promised to pass legislation broadening the offenses a vampire can be sanctioned for. Business would be better than ever _ and _they’d get to take down more vampires.”

“I read those laws. They were just as much an affront to humanity as they were a threat to vampirekind. Imagine justifying the slaying of a vampire for anything less than attempted murder… they truly do consider us to be animals.” Seonghwa said, shaking his head. “We already lost the battle against sanctions for serial violent crimes—because gods forbid a vampire be tried fairly as a human would, in a court of law—so I did not have high hopes for staving off another amendment of the sort.”

“I heard some of your talking points from the media recaps and press conferences. You were as eloquent as ever.” Hongjoong told him, grinning in a melancholy sort of way. “Just wish your words didn’t fall on so many deaf ears.”

“It is when the world isn’t listening that we must speak the loudest.” Seonghwa replied. “To paraphrase a rather poignant speech on that matter… when the press, when the whole _ world _ tells you to move, you must plant yourself like a tree beside the river of truth and tell them—no, you move.”

“Wow, that’s… that’s really beautiful. Who said that?” Hongjoong asked.

Seonghwa gave a wry grin. “Captain America, I believe.”

Hongjoong stared at him for a moment before cracking a smile, letting out a snort of laughter. “I can’t with you.”

“Would you rather I not credit my sources?” Seonghwa rebuffed. “That would be dishonest.”

Hongjoong rolled his eyes. “Practically sacrilege to you, huh?”

“Exactly so.”

“Mm… Seonghwa?”

“Yes, my love?”

“I could really use a distraction right now.” Hongjoong admitted. “And not just some flowery words, s’much as I like ‘em.”

“Of course, anything you want.” Seonghwa said, cradling his face and kissing him softly. “I’m afraid that Eden is in our bed. Where would you like—?”

“Who said we had to move?” Hongjoong asked, hopping up onto the desk and pulling Seonghwa into his space. “Here’s fine.”

He chuckled darkly, shaking his head. “You know, if we do things like this, we aren’t setting a very good example for the children. They’ll call us hypocrites for scolding them when they do just the same.”

“It’s do as I _ say, _not as I do.” Hongjoong reminded him. “And besides, I care more about the noise than the desecrating common areas of the house. You clean too thoroughly for me to really care about that.”

“Kim Hongjoong, are you implying that you are able to remain even _ remotely _quiet when I have my hands on you?” Seonghwa asked, grinning.

Hongjoong sputtered indignantly. “I—you… I can! Watch me!” 

Seonghwa merely shrugged, leaning in to kiss him and holding nothing back.

***

By the time Hongjoong was dead tired and thoroughly blissed out, it was several (loud) orgasms later and the sun had since risen. Seonghwa brought him up to the bedroom the hunter had claimed as his but hardly ever used, since Eden was still sleeping soundly in their usually-shared bed.

Once his lover was cleaned up and comfortably settled, Seonghwa headed back downstairs. He was starting to feel that familiar itch of hunger becoming somewhat distracting, so he thought to head for the feeding room. On his way, however, he ran into San.

“It’s getting quite late. Why haven’t you gone to bed?”

“Was busy fucking Wooyoung senseless in the game room.” San told him, far too nonchalant. “I knew Mingi would lose his mind if we got any of his consoles gross so we spent a bit of extra time cleaning up.”

“Speaking of Mingi.” Seonghwa intoned meaningfully, giving him a look. “I bore witness to the aftermath of your earlier argument.”

“Oh.” San just stood there for a moment, at a loss. “I mean, it was _ his _fault, he forgot to—”

“San, it does not matter who was at fault. In this case, I am only concerned about the impact your words had on Mingi.” Seonghwa interrupted. “He was quite affected. You know that he is sensitive about certain things, and turning those insecurities into weapons against him is cruel.”

San’s face fell. “He was really that bothered by what I said?”

“Yes.” Seonghwa sighed. “In the future, please be more conscientious of how your words affect others.”

“Okay… I’m sorry Seonghwa.” San murmured. “I just let my temper get the best of me and that wasn’t fair on Mingi.”

“You need not apologize to me.” Seonghwa told him with a meaningful stare. “Apologize to Mingi.”

San nodded. “I will. Thank you, Seonghwa.”

“Of course.” Seonghwa pulled San close, kissing his forehead. “I love all of you very much, so it pains me when you hurt one another.”

“It won’t happen again.” San assured, offering him his familiar dimpled smile before heading off on his way.

Seonghwa stood there for a moment, collecting his thoughts.

He supposed it was a good day when his fledglings thanked him for scolding them. At least they could see it as a lesson taught, rather than a punishment earned.

Only a few minutes passed, but he was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of his phone ringing. He fished it out of his pocket, checking the caller ID. It was the realtor, and so he made his way once more to the library to discuss the arrangements for their familiar, his need for blood shelved for the time being.

***

While cost had not been a concern, time _ was _of the essence and so, handling the logistics of the family’s relocation took some time. That also involved contacting the family, and their familiar became quite emotional over the situation, so the call had not been brief. It was well into the morning by the time Seonghwa had hung up, venturing outside of the library for the first time in hours.

The mansion was quiet… as expected, since everyone should have been sleeping. It was precisely due to that complete and utter silence that the sound of someone shuffling around in the kitchen reached him so distinctly. He could tell by the faint thump of a heartbeat that it was one of their humans, and as he headed down the hall, he caught enough of the sound of the man’s gait, enough of the scent of him to determine it was Yunho before he had even reached the doorway

Their live-in humans had long since adapted to a nocturnal schedule, so it was strange—and unusual—to see Yunho standing in the kitchen, miserably staring into the open fridge. The bright light painted harsh shadowed lines across his face, illuminating the dark circles under his eyes. It did not look as though he’d managed to sleep at all.

“Trouble sleeping, Yunho?” Seonghwa asked softly.

The human startled regardless of his caution, flinging the fridge door closed. “Huh? Oh, S-S-Seonghwa… I guess I… could ask you the same question, right?”

“I was handling a matter with my realtor which could only be dealt with come the dawn. Human business hours and all that.” Seonghwa replied, offering a genial, if concerned, smile. “Is there something troubling you?” 

Yunho sighed, slumping into one of the chairs at the kitchen table. “Yeah, I… I guess today’s scuffle with those other hunters got me thinking, is all.”

Seonghwa regarded him for a moment. “Would you… like to talk about it?”

Yunho stared guiltily for a long stretch of silence before swallowing and giving a nod.

“Allow me to make you some tea.” Seonghwa said, going to the stove. He put on a kettle, then gathered some of the dried herbs he kept from the garden. He usually gave most of the spoils of his landscape to his familiars, especially since he hardly tended to the outside plants himself anymore, but he still knew how to mix herbs. He ground chamomile, lavender, mint and Valerian root together with a mortar and pestle, then spooned them into a decanter before pouring the hot water over them. He added honey before setting the cup in front of Yunho, taking the seat caddy-corner to him.

Yunho inhaled the steam, humming softly. “Of course a healer would be good at making tea.”

“A skill that has become rather desuetude, as I am rarely allowed to practice.” Seonghwa admitted regretfully. “Now, you mentioned the… scuffle. With the other hunters?”

“Yeah. They were just… so cruel. These were guys that used to look up to Hongjoong-hyung, you know? They respected him.” Yunho blew over the rim of the mug before taking a tentative sip. “But since he was turned, they got cold and distant. And now, because of the hearings? I don’t know but it’s got them all riled up.”

“Discourse in the political realm often gives rise to bigotry among the public.” Seonghwa said. “People who were once afraid to show their true prejudices become emboldened when their views are given a voice on the senate floor.”

Yunho nodded. “I guess it got to me because I’ve been thinking a lot about how… and when, _ I _ want to be turned.”

“Ah. You’ve made… considerations?” Seonghwa asked gently.

“Yeah. I was iffy about it before, but since talking it out with Mingi and San, I want to. Sooner rather than later. I don’t really love the idea of physically aging so far past hyung especially. And I’m not deep in the field like our hunters are. The chances of me getting fatally injured are pretty slim. I mean, the base attack was one thing, but it’s safer here, you know? I injure myself more at my forge.” Yunho chuckled, however, there was something uneasy about the sound. “That’s something I’ll have to think about, too. There’s certain weapons I won’t be able to make for Jongho and Hongjoong-hyung anymore. I mean, now that hyung has the coven’s resources, that’s not the biggest problem, but I think it’ll… upset him.”

“That you will stop being his weaponsmith?” Seonghwa pressed. “Or that you will have willingly allowed yourself to be turned despite your life not depending on it?”

He knew from the look in Yunho’s eye that he’d touched upon the heart of the problem.

“Both.” Yunho confirmed. “It’s just, you know… Hongjoong has a lot of hang-ups about it, I mean, he’s got a pretty traumatic experience, so I think he… probably wouldn’t take it well.”

“I see.” Seonghwa intoned thoughtfully, lacing his fingers over his knee. “And how does that make you feel…?”

***

Seonghwa was, in the eyes of the law and Seoul National University, a licensed psychologist. It was not often that he was able to use his formal training in anything more than a tertiary sense, usually only using his knowledge to guide conversations with the others around him when they were troubled, particularly Eden and Hongjoong. He and Yunho, however, spoke for the better part of an hour, and it was clear that the human had a lot he needed to get off of his chest.

“In the end, your decision is your own, and no one else can take that from you, no matter their grievances. To be on the receiving end of such diatribes is surely demoralizing, but you mustn’t allow obdurate, bigoted people to dictate your life choices. Hongjoong certainly has not been impenitent about his past ignorance, and I do believe he would come to accept your decision in the end. He may wish to impugn your choice at first, but having gone through the vicissitudes of the life of hunter-become-vampire himself, I trust that he will acquiesce in time.”

Seonghwa stared at Yunho for a long moment, watching him take all that in… but his resulting expression was only that of confusion.

“Uh. I mean, I think those were all real words but I didn’t understand at least half of what you said.” Yunho admitted.

Seonghwa blinked, replaying the conversation in his mind. “I… apologize. I tend to forget myself and revert to much more formal speech than is necessary when I have not slept… I’m afraid colloquialisms are not a natural part of my vernacular and I must put effort into speaking informally.”

“Um…”

Seonghwa cleared his throat. “When I am tired, I forget what century I am speaking in. I am sorry for that.”

“Oh, right. It’s… fine. Actually, if you’re tired, I should really let you sleep! I’m so sorry, I kept you up, too, huh?” Yunho said guiltily, standing up quickly.

“It is quite all right, Yunho. It is apparent to me that you needed to talk.” Seonghwa assured, ushering him out the door. “Now, off to bed with you. The tea should help.”

“Yeah, actually, I do feel sleepier.” Yunho admitted around a yawn. “Thanks, Seonghwa.”

“Of course, darling Yunho. May sleep find you well.” Seonghwa told him, offering a gentle wave as he went.

The nagging hunger prickling at the back of his neck returned full-force once the distraction was gone, and it warred bitterly with his desire to sleep. Seonghwa found himself torn, but his feet carried him toward the feeding room.

Unfortunately, he did not even make it. He was halfway down the hall when he heard sniffling. He looked in on the common room to find Wooyoung tucked into the far corner, staring at his phone and crying.

“Wooyoung, sweet boy, why aren't you in bed? What is wrong?” Seonghwa asked, immediately forgetting his hunger in favor of approaching the fledgling and crouching before him. He placed his hands on the boy’s shoulders, stroking there soothingly with his thumbs.

Wooyoung answered him, but it was completely unintelligible through his whining and sobbing. He may have mentioned not wanting to disturb his time with Yunho, and that he didn't want to involve Yeosang, but he couldn't quite make out what the _problem _was. Seonghwa shushed him soothingly, trying to calm him down, but eventually Wooyoung just shoved his phone at him.

On the screen, his Mail app was open. There were dozens of emails from someone with nonsensical letters listed as their name. There was a sinister subject line for each of them. _ ‘I know your secret’, ‘I know what you did’, ‘Filthy corpse, you deserve to die’. _

“Oh Wooyoung… when did this start? Are these all of them?” Seonghwa asked as he scrolled down. There were so many, but they were all dated within a day.

“I only saw them just now. I don’t check my email all that much.” Wooyoung squeaked out, tears still streaming down his face.

“All right… I will look into them and handle this. Come log one of the laptops into your email account for me. Come on.” Seonghwa helped him to his feet, walking with him hand-in-hand to the study. He had Wooyoung open up his email on his laptop before taking a seat in the plush leather office chair.

The emails were concerning. It appeared that someone may have had knowledge of the incident that occurred nearly a year prior in Seoul, when Wooyoung ended the lives of seven violent gang members in the defense of himself and another person the gang was attempting to beat to death.

Seonghwa had ensured that the incident had been buried, seeing as the _ police _had buried much of the gang’s activities, given that their usual victims were LGBT youth. Their clear prejudice was nothing short of blackmail in Seonghwa’s hands, and as there had not been any other witnesses to the killings outside of their coven, he had considered the matter handled.

But now, there was _ someone _threatening Wooyoung. Not threatening, though, he realized as he read through them. Just taunting. There were no actual threats.

Regardless, they needed to track down the source of these emails.

Surely it was something that Mingi or Yunho could have handled in much less time, but Seonghwa did not wish to disturb them. Yunho had _ just _gone to sleep after having clearly stayed awake for far too long, and Mingi slept like the dead. Waking him at this hour would surely result in him being too groggy to even be helpful.

“This will take some time, Wooyoung. You should go to sleep. I am sure Yeosang is wondering where you are.”

The fledgling frowned. “Yeosang was pretty hung up over the thing with his familiar, anyway, so that’s why he told me to go hang out with San earlier. I don’t need to burden him with my worries, too. And he’ll _ know _something’s wrong if I—”

“All right, very well then. Come here.” Seonghwa murmured, sliding the chair away from the desk slightly.

Wooyoung made a soft noise, eagerly slipping into his lap and resting his head on Seonghwa’s shoulder. Although he was mostly occupied with typing, any time the screen took a moment to load, Seonghwa would stroke a hand gently over Wooyoung’s spine or through his hair.

He had fallen asleep within minutes, his face nuzzled against Seonghwa’s neck.

It took Seonghwa nearly two hours to track down the source of the emails. The person hadn’t even used a VPN, just a fresh email address made on their own IP. It was only due to Seonghwa’s lack of computer expertise that it had taken him as long as it had. After poking around on several social networking sites, he had a rather solid understanding of just what this person was trying to accomplish.

He gently shook Wooyoung awake, stroking a hand over his cheek as he sat up and groaned tiredly.

“Mmn… _ whereamI? _What did I—oh, right.” His face fell when he remembered why he was there and not in bed.

“I’ve tracked down your email bully.” Seonghwa told him, brushing Wooyoung’s fringe from his eyes tenderly. “Does the name Seo Changbin sound familiar?”

Wooyoung’s eyes widened. “Wh-what?”

“The emails were nothing more than the angry ravings of an ex-lover. Ex…boyfriend? His social media was quite telling.” Seonghwa explained. “He must have found out you had been turned after the Bureau recently publicized that our coven had grown. It was an attempt by them to make me appear threatening, and coven records are—unfortunately—public. He must have seen your name.”

“S-so he doesn’t know about the… the incident in the alley?” Wooyoung asked softly.

“No. I believe he was simply angered that you had become a vampire. He was ranting about it on his tweet-site. Twitter. That one.” Seonghwa answered. “He isn’t very shy about his opinions, whether on you or vampires or otherwise. I don’t believe he poses any threat to you or to the coven, but I have blocked his IP from emailing anything to ours.”

“Oh.” Wooyoung let out a whoosh of breath even though he didn’t need to. He felt like he did. “Wow I—I feel kind of stupid for being so dramatic about it…”

“Nonsense. It was an understandable response.” Seonghwa said, then stood with Wooyoung gathered up in his arms. “Come, now… shall we see you to bed?”

Wooyoung nodded sheepishly, too tired to want to do anything else anyway.

Seonghwa traversed the stairs, returning Wooyoung to his preferred bedroom. Yeosang was already asleep, wrapped up in the covers. He didn’t even stir as Seonghwa set Wooyoung down, kissing his forehead.

“Now, get some sleep, sweet boy.” He gently petted through his hair before taking his leave, closing the door behind him just as Wooyoung burrowed himself into Yeosang’s arms with a soft, ‘thank you’.

Seonghwa took a moment just to stand in the hall and collect himself. The house was silent and still for the first time in what felt like forever, even to someone like him. Two gentle heartbeats sang a rhythmic melody from either side of the hall. It was peaceful… _ finally. _

Seonghwa loved every single one of the members of his coven, vampire and human alike, but he needed a moment to himself.

Just a _ moment. _

He stole away to the feeding room, finally finding no distractions and no pressing matters to attend to. He all but collapsed into his favorite chaise with a blood bag, not even bothering to pour it into a glass first. He was too tired. He downed two of them in quick order, but he was in no rush to leave the comfort of his chair. The silence was nice, too. The thought of traversing the stairs was daunting, and so he decided to just take a moment to himself and remain there for a little while longer.


	2. Chapter 2

Once darkness fell, the mansion stirred, filled with all the usual chatter of its occupants. Everyone was home for once, and while it was a large enough home that it did not feel stifling or crowded, it was certainly a change from the norm.

One was missing, however, though it was not immediately obvious.

As always, it was San who first took notice that he had not seen Seonghwa all evening. He poked around in his usual haunts, not finding him. Eventually he enlisted Hongjoong, which instantly had Eden tagging along, and soon everyone was scouring the mansion looking for Seonghwa.

They found him in the feeding room, leaned back in his favorite antique chaise. There were two empty blood bags on the table next to him, and he was completely dead to the world, eyes closed and head tipped back in sleep.

“Something’s wrong.” Yeosang commented.

“Really wrong.” San agreed.

“What’s going on?” Hongjoong asked as he pushed his way to the entry, finally able to see what they were talking about.

“Seonghwa fell asleep outside of his bed.He just… doesn’t do that. _ Ever.” _San insisted.

“Perhaps something happened?” Yeosang questioned no one in particular. “He doesn’t appear injured, but this is quite out of character.”

Eden looked over the room, regarding the others. “What’s happened since I went to sleep? Just before midnight? I haven’t seen him since. I’ve been busy.”

“Yesterday?” Mingi cradled his own chin, pursing his lips thoughtfully. “San was being mean to me. So Seonghwa hung out with me for a bit.”

“You mean he _ babied _you.” San wheedled, which earned him a raspberry from Mingi.

“When I saw him, I asked him to handle a financial matter with one of our familiars.” Yeosang mumbled. “He appeared a bit tired, but it couldn’t wait—”

“Oh, shit.”

Everyone looked at Hongjoong.

“What did you do?” Eden asked, tone somewhat dangerous.

“When we got back, I had him reset Jongho’s shoulder. He got tossed around in a fight.” Hongjoong explained. “And then after… uh. I came home feeling like shit, just like, strung out, and you know how Seonghwa is…”

Yeosang let out a long sigh. “He offered to take your mind off of it.”

“Yeah, for like, hours.” Hongjoong muttered, looking away guiltily.

“That still doesn’t account for the rest of the day.” Eden said.

Yunho raised his hand slowly. “I may have accosted him for a therapy session after he got done with the realtor.”

“A ther—Yunho, he isn’t your _ therapist!” _Eden snarled.

“Yes he is! He’s a licensed psychologist!” Yunho protested. “I mean, it’s not _ often, _but I do talk to him sometimes, and yesterday was rough on us all. These Bureau hearings have really riled up the hunting community.”

“We know that, Yunho. Do you know why? We were there!” Eden hissed. “All right, who else?”

“I mean, around sunrise, Seonghwa gave me a talking-to about the whole being-nicer-to-Mingi thing, but it was five minutes, tops.” San said.

There was a small noise from the corner, and everyone looked at Wooyoung.

He swallowed, tears glittering in his eyes as he looked down.

“Wooyoung?” Eden intoned dangerously.

“I’m sorry, I was really scared, okay? I didn’t know who it was at first—!”

“Who what was? What are you talking about?” Hongjoong asked.

“Wooyoung?” Yeosang murmured, concerned.

“I was… I was getting these weird emails from a throwaway account. ‘I know what you did’, ‘I know your secret’, ‘you deserve to die’, stuff like that.” Wooyoung rambled. “I thought—I thought someone had found out about the incident with that gang I… defended myself against like a year ago.”

“Thought. So it wasn’t?” Eden clarified. Wooyoung nodded. “Then what _ was _it?”

Wooyoung swallowed. “It was, uh. An ex-boyfriend. He found out that becoming a vampire was the reason I disappeared off everyone’s radar. And he’s kind of a bigot, so he started harassing me. But I’m sorry, I didn’t know. Seonghwa spent hours tracing the IP until he tracked the person down and it was just… a bitter ex. Harmless, just an asshole.”

“So it turned out to be basically nothing.” Eden said.

Wooyoung frowned. “I mean, mostly—”

Eden raised a hand to hush him. “Anyone else?”

No one spoke up.

Eden pinched the bridge of his nose.

“So let me get this straight. For four weeks, Seonghwa and I have been running ourselves ragged, back and forth between here and Seoul to get to these hearings, sitting through them while these awful, _ awful _ politicians talk about how they want to keep vampires in their place and reaffirm humanity’s control over the situation. Seonghwa himself has spoken out _ at length _against these terrible people, dealt with the press, hardly fed or slept… and we get home to chaos? Every single one of you had some kind of issue you laid in his lap, and not one of you bothered to check in with him?”

Everyone looked guilty, then, but Hongjoong crossed his arms. “Yeah, well, what about you?”

“Me? I was _ there _ at the hearings with him, plus the Bureau meetings, _ and _ I drove us home, you shithead.” Eden leaned forward, flicking the other’s forehead so hard that Hongjoong cringed. “And yeah, he helped me out when we got back. But then I left him the _ fuck alone _because I figured he could use some peace and quiet.”

“We fucked up.” Hongjoong mumbled.

“No shit!” Eden hissed. “All right, are there any outstanding issues you all are dealing with right now? Is everything resolved?”

Everyone he could see shook their heads, no one speaking up to the contrary.

“All right. I’ll take him upstairs to bed. But after that, I’ve gotta go.” Eden said, shaking his head and sighing in frustration. “Everyone is on orders to leave him the _ fuck _ alone for twelve _ entire _hours. I don’t care what happens. If something comes up, handle it. You’re all adults.”

“Not to be, like, a brat, but you _ aren’t _second in command here.” San grumbled.

“Just listen to him, San.” Yeosang said in a threadbare tone.

San put his hands up in mock surrender. “Okay, okay, fair enough. I guess if we’re going based on ability and qualifications, Eden _ is _the most qualified.”

“I agree, and I abdicate anyway.” Yeosang mumbled. “I’m a terrible second-in-command. All I ever do is defer to Seonghwa. That’s not helpful now.”

“We can talk about all that later.” Hongjoong reasoned. “Let’s just… get him to bed.”

The others dispersed with sullen expressions as Eden scooped Seonghwa up into his arms, Hongjoong following the two of them upstairs. He didn’t stir, which truly spoke to just how tired he must have been when he finally passed out.

Hongjoong didn’t take his eyes off of Seonghwa’s face for the entire trek upstairs. He looked so small in Eden’s arms, which was in complete opposition to his usual imposing demeanor.

Eventually they reached Seonghwa’s bedroom, Hongjoong pulling the covers back so Eden could gently place him into the bed. Hongjoong tucked him in once he had, surprised to see that Seonghwa still hadn’t stirred. He climbed into bed next to him, on his opposite side, sitting up against the headboard.

“When he wakes up, tell him I’ll see him when I get back from the final votes.” Eden told him. “I’ll probably be gone for a few days.”

“I’ll look after him. For real.” Hongjoong assured, frowning at the doubtful look he received.

“Just let him rest.” Eden said pointedly. “If he doesn’t wake up for longer than twelve hours, call me. We have no idea how long he’s been sleeping down there but a vampire being out for more than fifteen hours would be highly concerning.”

“Got it.” Hongjoong replied quietly. “I’ll keep an eye on him. And the time.”

“Good. Any more BS from you or the rest of the coven and I won’t hold back.” Eden threatened, holding his fingers like he was going to flick him again before stalking out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Hongjoong let his gaze wander to Seonghwa’s serenely-resting face, sighing to himself.

It was clear they had all taken Seonghwa for granted, and the universe was reminding them he was just as fallible as any of them.

The concept sat heavily in Hongjoong’s gut, and he watched Seonghwa sleep for several long hours, never nodding off himself.

By the time Seonghwa woke again, it was nearly daybreak.

He woke peacefully, gently coming into awareness before opening his eyes and looking around. The room, of course, was familiar—and the man next to him on his bed—but he knew that he had never returned upstairs after feeding. 

“I did not… fall asleep here.” Seonghwa said slowly, sitting up and running a hand through his hair.

“Eden brought you up from the feeding room. You passed out sitting up... kinda freaked everyone out.”

Seonghwa appeared almost… ashamed, looking somewhat flustered. “I apologize, the month must have caught up with me—”

“Don’t.” Hongjoong grunted, his voice hard. “Don’t apologize, Seonghwa. We all realized we laid a lot on you in these last twenty-four hours and that was shitty of us. We’re all sorry… we didn’t mean to—”

“Hongjoong…” Seonghwa cut him off, sounding pained. “My love, please. I am the leader of this coven. It is my responsibility to take care of you, _ all _of you. It is not something I consider a burden. I do it gladly.”

“Still, you deserve a break.” Hongjoong insisted. “And spread out over time, or when you’re not dealing with a whole mess at the Bureau, sure, but we laid a lot on you. Too much. And it’s okay to say no, or ask us to give you some time. We’re adults. We aren’t babies who need your constant care and guidance. It’s reasonable to expect us to handle our own shit sometimes.”

“I believe it’s just as reasonable for you all to expect me to help you with certain things.” Seonghwa countered.

Hongjoong sighed, rolling his eyes. “You’re impossible.”

“Caring for you all is my privilege.” Seonghwa continued, his voice earnest. “I _ am _sorry for worrying everyone. I will… be more mindful of my own limits, in the future.”

“I guess that’s all I can ask for, huh?” Hongjoong grumbled, feeling a bit defeated.

It didn’t feel as though Seonghwa was going to give much more ground on this particular argument, so he would have to settle on what he’d been given.

***

Hongjoong spent the entirety of Sunday ensuring that Seonghwa was given time to himself. He tailed him around the mansion at a bit of a distance for the entire night, usually finding a place nearby to busy himself with something menial and allow Seonghwa to be left to his own devices while remaining in his orbit. He practically growled at anyone who came too near looking like they might ask him for something, San even going so far as to liken him to a guard dog.

He would take that comparison gladly. He didn’t give a shit. Seonghwa deserved a break.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t stop him from taking a call from his realtor, who was kind enough to work over the weekend to get the accommodations handled for their familiar. Eden texted Hongjoong for updates, and he let him know that Seonghwa seemed fine and had slept plenty, but not enough to have cause for concern. He watched fondly while Seonghwa cared for his little succulent collection on the veranda, tapping away on his phone and pointedly glaring at Yunho when he walked past and peeked in.

On Sunday night, Hongjoong settled into bed with Seonghwa just before sunrise… a completely reasonable time. He didn’t seek out any physical affection from him, and Seonghwa did not initiate, so they just tangled up together beneath the sheets and fell asleep within minutes. If any of the others were partaking in any exciting bedroom activities, they remained quiet enough not to disturb them.

Hongjoong figured things had gotten better.

Hongjoong had figured wrong.

He was a light sleeper—conditioning from his years working as a hunter—so when Seonghwa bolted up next to him in bed with a soft, startled noise, he was awake in seconds flat.

“Hwa? Wasswrong?” He asked a bit blearily, pulling him closer when he realized the other was shaking.

“Nothing, it was nothing. Go back to sleep, my love. I am sorry to have disturbed you.” Seonghwa kneaded at his own temple, appearing angry with himself for having woken him.

Hongjoong was no stranger to Seonghwa’s nightmares. He was used to it by now… even though they weren’t all that frequent anymore. At least not when he was around. He didn’t know how he was when Hongjoong was away. He knew they were worse; Seonghwa had told him such once before. But he would never disclose just how much worse, or how often they occurred when he wasn’t around.

“Don’t apologize.” Hongjoong mumbled, pressing a kiss to his cheek before glancing at the clock across the room. “It’s still day. You should try to get s’more sleep. C’mon.”

He dragged him back down onto the bed, holding him close—and, admittedly, hostage—until he calmed down enough to drift off again. Hongjoong dropped back into unconsciousness almost immediately, but if Seonghwa so much as twitched, his grip seemed to inadvertently tighten.

The sun hadn’t even set yet when Seonghwa woke again, his sleep disturbed by yet another nightmare. He attempted to slip out of bed, but Hongjoong held fast, not letting him go.

“Where’re ya goin’?” He asked sleepily.

“I did not wish to disturb you further, I will go rest somewhere else.” Seonghwa told him, trying to peel his hand away. “You should—”

“No.” Hongjoong huffed, holding tighter. “Talk to me.”

Seonghwa let out a soft, mirthless laugh. “While I appreciate the sentiment, I don’t believe it will do me much good.”

Hongjoong frowned, sitting up. “Is it… the same nightmare, again?”

“No, no, my love. It isn’t that.” Seonghwa assured, pulling him closer and pressing a kiss to his temple. “These Bureau hearings, they have brought to light a great many concerns I have harbored over the years. I… worry over the state of vampire-human relations. Things have been somewhat _ tense _since the incident with the Ancient.”

“Yeah…” Hongjoong murmured, his gaze trailing over to the far wall where a copy of the final page of the Human-Vampire Accords was displayed in a place of honor surrounded by bookshelves. “But even someone like you has to sleep. You wanna… try drinking my blood or something? It’ll get you drunk, right?”

Seonghwa regarded him for a moment. “It would, but I… don’t partake in that particular practice.”

“You don’t drink vampire blood?” Hongjoong asked. Seonghwa shook his head. “Ever?”

Seonghwa shook his head again. “Never.”

“You’ve never even tried it?” Hongjoong clarified.

“I have not.” Seonghwa admitted.

“...any particular reason?” Hongjoong murmured.

“Several, actually. But I believe my first impression of the practice left a… distinctly negative image in my mind.” Seonghwa explained. At Hongjoong’s curious look, he continued. “It was the 1920’s, and vampires were still very much underground. The covens were far less organized, and much like it was for the humans of the time, it was an era of self-indulgence and hedonism.”

Hongjoong raised an eyebrow. “You regularly partake in group sex, so I am really curious exactly what ‘hedonism’ means to you.”

“Not simply sex within their own covens but also with unwitting humans, who were often too drunk or drug-addled to truly know what they were involved in. Consuming more vampire blood than human blood, which can permanently alter a vampire’s mental state. Practices of that nature.” Seonghwa told him.

“You let San get drunk on your blood.” Hongjoong reasoned.

“On a rare occasion, yes. I do not encourage it among members of my coven, but I will not stop them. They are allowed their own decisions.” Seonghwa said.

Hongjoong shrugged. “I don’t know. The one time you let me do it, after I burned the fuck out of myself on the U/V sword… it was nice. Took the pain away and knocked me out pretty quick. I think if your sleeping pattern doesn’t improve, you should think about it.”

“I will be fine, my love. You worry too much.” Seonghwa insisted, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “Now, as we’ve awoken in time, would you care to watch the sunset with me?”

Hongjoong sighed, nodding and taking Seonghwa’s hand.

He knew that the other much preferred sunrises, but sunsets were just as beautiful.

***

Seonghwa’s sleep did not improve.

Hongjoong had done everything he could to ensure Seonghwa would sleep well. He made sure he’d drank blood at some point during the night, kept him away from as many stressors as possible, and once they _ had _gone to bed, he’d done his best to rock his world, riding him until they both came. They even indulged in a bath after rinsing off in the shower, Hongjoong drifting off against Seonghwa’s chest for a few minutes before he came to his senses and ushered them both to bed.

He’d done what he could, but it still hadn’t been enough. Seonghwa still awoke just after noon from disturbing dreams, and had trouble falling back asleep.

Hongjoong decided he would have to stage an intervention.

When Seonghwa arrived in the common room to find _ everyone _ there—save Eden, who was still away on Bureau business—he knew _ something _was going on.

“I… sense there is something which requires serious discussion.”

It was flatly not a question. Hongjoong motioned to the couch, and Seonghwa sat.

“We’ve all been talking about it, and we think you should at least _ try _to drink some vampire blood. At least enough to get some sleep.” Hongjoong said, not bothering to beat around the bush.

“We’re all worried about you, and it’s not like you can just take sleeping pills like a human could. They don’t work on vampires.” Yunho reasoned.

“This is… all quite unnecessary.” Seonghwa insisted, nonchalant. “I have been alive for a very long time. The mind naturally goes through phases of unrest or unease, and this, like any time before it, will pass.”

“Maybe so, but Seonghwa… even you must admit that this is quite a critical time.” Yeosang spoke up. “Given all that’s going on with the Bureau, all the stress that entails… you need restful sleep.”

“And honestly, just the fact that you’ve never tried it is a little sad.” San piped up. “Even if you only try it once to see what it’s like… I mean, you’ve been around a long time. Live a little.”

“That last sentence should have made almost no sense, and yet, it somehow did.” Yunho remarked.

San shrugged. “My point still stands. I think it would be good for you.”

Seonghwa frowned.

“Whose should it be? Hongjoong’s? He’s the youngest of us that’s around right now.” Mingi said.

“Would Eden’s be more potent?” Jongho asked.

“As was mentioned… Eden is away on Bureau business currently.” Seonghwa reminded. “There is hardly a difference so early in a fledgling’s first year, however. The blood remains immensely potent for nearly two years before beginning to mellow.”

“Oh… so then mine would still work, even.” Wooyoung piped up.

“It would, yes…” Seonghwa replied, giving Hongjoong a look. “...were I actually to consider the offer.”

“What, you’re just gonna brush it off? Again?” Hongjoong bristled. “What’s the problem? The others do it.”

“Eh… San does it.” Wooyoung corrected. “Yeosang did it once with me, in private. And I tried his.”

“I used to, but Yeosang complained that I’m too loud of a drunk.” Mingi grumbled, pouting.

“To be fair, Mingi, dear… they could have named noise ordinances after your drunken antics.” Seonghwa added. “And you and San drinking together? Disastrous.”

“In my defense, it’s his fault. I got on just fine before he came along. I couldn’t sleep without the stuff for months after being turned, and I _ only _ used it to sleep.” Mingi said. “But Seonghwa was too worried about it becoming an addiction to let me have it too often.”

“I’m not saying you should make it a regular thing.” Hongjoong cut in, the voice of reason. “But it helped me when I was in pain. You’ve had others use your blood plenty of times. You should at least know what it feels like just once.”

“This feels distinctly like peer pressure.” Yunho murmured uncomfortably from the corner. “Do you feel pressured, Seonghwa? Do you need me to drag hyung out of the room—?”

“It is fine, thank you, Yunho.” Seonghwa told him with a quelling gesture and a sweet, amused laugh. “I will admit to having some curiosity about it, but I have a duty as coven leader—”

“Hang on, pause.” Hongjoong interrupted, making a T-shape with his hands. “Being the leader of our coven doesn’t mean you can’t have any fun or freedom ever, first of all. And I know you think it’s your job to hold together the entire fabric of human-vampire relations single-handedly but I promise you, it’s not your responsibility. You aren’t the only torch-bearer in that respect, forgive the pun. You just happen to be one of the most well-known.”

Seonghwa ignored the teasing play at his name’s meaning. Instead, his mind settled focus on one word. Our. _ Our _ coven. Seonghwa felt warmth bloom in his chest, smiling fondly at the thought of Hongjoong so casually referring to their family as his own, now.

“You lost him somewhere.” San grunted, tipping his head back to stare at the ceiling. “His eyes went all sparkly. He’s stopped paying attention.”

“I am paying attention.” Seonghwa argued. There was a pregnant pause, but no one interrupted him. “I… will agree to partake. Once.”

“Once.” Hongjoong repeated. “Ever?”

“Perhaps.” Seonghwa shrugged. “To ensure your expectations are tempered, I will say that likely, yes. Once ever.”

“I mean, at least you’ll try it, I guess.” Hongjoong mumbled.

“I have to agree with Yunho.” Mingi said, then. “This feels a bit like Hongjoong pressuring you.”

“Let it be known that there is not a person in all of creation who could force me to do something so menial against my own wishes.” Seonghwa assured, shaking his head. “I have admitted that I have always been curious about it. And so seldom is it that I find a new experience in which to partake, at my age.”

“Yeah, I imagine so, seeing as you’re _ a thousand.” _ Jongho chuckled, jumping down from the side table he was perched on. “Well, this hardly seems to concern me any more so I’m going to duck out, but good luck figuring it all out. I only babysit Yunho. I’m not _ also _ babysitting a drunken, ancient vampire.”

“I don’t need babysitting…” Yunho mumbled around a pout.

“You literally fainted from blood loss and overexertion because these two knuckleheads forgot you have human limits during one of your weekly orgies.” Jongho reminded as he passed between Mingi and San, pinching both of them in their sides. They both cringed, yelping. “So until they learn how to monitor your blood pressure, I’m on babysitting duty.”

With that, he breezed from the room, neither Mingi nor San caring to argue with him. The guilt was plain upon their faces, and it was obvious they had not moved past that particular incident, either.

Seonghwa cleared his throat patiently. “If the rest of you would care to move on with the remainder of your evening… I only need to speak with Hongjoong and Yeosang from here.”

“Was that your subtle, polite way of telling us to get lost?” San teased.

“You are welcome to remain, but I doubt you will find the conversation very interesting.” Seonghwa replied.

“I’m good.” San chirped, plopping down on the couch. Hongjoong sighed and rolled his eyes.

“I, uh… I think I’ll go check and see what Jongho’s up to.” Yunho piped up, heading out of the room.

Seonghwa glanced around at those who were left.

“Well, I know you have hang-ups, so name them.” Hongjoong said bluntly.

Seonghwa pressed his lips together before speaking his concerns. “It has always been my duty to protect the coven.”

“You’ve got me here, now. And Jongho, and Eden. Between the three of us, there’s not an attacker alive who stands a chance.” Hongjoong reasoned.

“It is not simply about that.“ Seonghwa responded. “But I understand that… such a concern may no longer be warranted. Which is why I have—tentatively—agreed.”

“You got some other conditions or something?” Hongjoong asked.

Seonghwa shook his head. “No. Merely concerns. Should I take leave of my senses entirely… Yeosang, you are in charge.”

That earned him a grunt of protest. “I don’t think—”

“Eden’s not here.” Wooyoung reminded him. “It’s gotta be you.”

Seonghwa’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Eden?”

Mingi frowned. “Yeah, we kind of elected him second-in-command while you were passed out. Yeosangie abdicated.”

Seonghwa blinked. “I… seem to have missed a great deal. Yeosang?”

“It’s fine, I agreed with them. But as Eden is not here, I will look after everyone.” Yeosang promised. “Please try to get some decent sleep. We’re all worried for you.”

Seonghwa gave a devastated smile at that. “I am truly fortunate to have you. All of you.”

“All right, enough of your maudlin ramblings. You aren’t even drunk yet.” Yeosang teased, which earned him a pointed look.

“Thank you, Yeosang.” Seonghwa rebutted in too kind a tone, allowing Hongjoong to take his hand and lead him back upstairs.

Beyond all the teasing, he _ was _grateful, for every last one of them.

***

Hongjoong had finally gotten what he wanted. He had finally gotten Seonghwa to agree to use vampire blood as a way to calm his mind enough for him to get some decent sleep. But now that he’d crossed the biggest hurdle, he didn’t know what to do with himself.

It wasn’t the daylight hours yet, so he let Seonghwa be for the time being. Hongjoong kept himself busy in the armory while Seonghwa read an old favorite collection of poetry of his. By the time Hongjoong returned to Seonghwa’s bedroom, it was just an hour or so shy of sunrise.

“You ready to try’n get some sleep?” Hongjoong asked, his tone somewhere between hesitant and encouraging.

Seonghwa chuckled in amusement. “Are you asking me if I am prepared to get drunk for the first time as a vampire?”

“Uh, yeah, I guess.” Hongjoong admitted, joining him on the bed as Seonghwa set his book aside. “Do you remember the first time you got drunk as a human?”

“As a matter of fact, I do. It was in the spring of 980. My master and I had just assisted the governor of a small township with his wife’s illness. He was so grateful we managed to mitigate her symptoms that he insisted we partake in dinner and drinks. I had never before had wine in such large quantities. I believe I passed out in the cart and did not wake until nearly noon the following day, with a terrible headache, as I recall.”

Hongjoong laughed. “That’s such a normal first-hangover story, if you ignore the part about it taking place over a thousand years ago.”

“I suppose so.” Seonghwa replied, smiling fondly at Hongjoong’s reaction.

“This maybe won’t make such a fun story.” Hongjoong said, seeming a bit forlorn about it. “But if it helps you, then that’s all that matters.”

“As I have told you before, Hongjoong… I cherish every moment I have with you. Every memory we make together has a special place in my heart.” Seonghwa murmured, taking his hand and kissing over his knuckles.

Hongjoong was certain if he still had the ability, he would have been blushing profusely. “You’re such a poet. I’ve gotta keep all those flowery books away from you.”

Seonghwa chuckled, shaking his head. “There is no escaping it, you may as well surrender to it now.”

Hongjoong rolled his eyes. “You say as if I haven’t already completely fallen to your charms.”

He slipped his hand from Seonghwa’s, then, crawling into his lap.

“Well? You ready?”

Seonghwa nodded.

“I am. However, before we begin, I would like to express my explicit consent to anything you so desire while I am in the… _ altered _state.”

“Oh yeah?” Hongjoong raised an eyebrow. “You going for anything specific?”

“No, it is simply that I have witnessed what vampire blood can do to one’s state of mind and I would not wish for you to feel that you were taking advantage.” Seonghwa explained. “Everything that I am is yours, Hongjoong. In all ways. It felt necessary to remind you, to assuage any guilt or hesitance… or moral dilemma.”

“I was really just kinda hoping you’d get some good sleep.” Hongjoong admitted. “Or maybe just… enjoy it a little. I guess I wasn’t thinking about that.”

“Are you now?” Seonghwa asked softly.

Hongjoong snorted. “Yeah. More than a little bit. We can… play it by ear. If you just end up passing out, I won’t be too broken up about it, but we’ll see where the night takes us.”

Seonghwa nodded. “Very well, then… I am ready.”

Hongjoong pulled the collar of his shirt aside, bearing his neck.

It had been some months since Seonghwa had been allowed this. Since Hongjoong had been turned. The last time he had tasted Hongjoong’s blood, he had been dying. Now, as he sunk his fangs into the flawless flesh, it was not like that time. It was much like it had been before, when Hongjoong had allowed him this in a similarly intimate moment.

When Hongjoong had trusted him with it.

Seonghwa felt the blood hit his tongue, and the thing that surprised him the most was that it was so achingly _ familiar. _Like drinking a favorite beverage mixed with alcohol, Hongjoong’s blood was a favored treasure now laced with the promise of something more.

_ “Oh…” _Seonghwa grunted softly against his neck. Hongjoong meant to ask him what had caused such a reaction, but then he took such a hard pull that it sent a rush of heat through the hunter, cutting off his question with a soft moan.

When Seonghwa finally pulled back, he licked the blood from his lips and swallowed slowly, seeming to savor it.

“Your blood… still tastes much the same as when you were human.” Seonghwa murmured, running the pad of one finger over his own lips. “There is quite a difference, of course, but it is still very much… _ you.” _

Hongjoong grinned, somehow looking equal parts smug and touched. “So maybe not just the once?”

“We will see.” Seonghwa rebuffed, giving him a quelling look.

“How’s it feel?”

Seonghwa moved his thumb across the pads of his own fingers, testing. “I can feel… something. A slight change in sensory—”

“Take more.” Hongjoong said, tugging him close again. “It hits the rest of us quick… like a train, honestly. So it probably wasn’t enough to affect you.”

Seonghwa gave a wry laugh. “Have a _ little _patience, Hongjoong.”

“I promise when it hits you, you’ll feel it.” Hongjoong insisted. “Take more.”

Seonghwa rolled his eyes, but relented, leaning in and sinking his fangs into the other’s neck once more.

Vampire blood was meant to be drank sparingly by vampires. San only ever took what likely equated to a shot, and that managed to get him decently toasted. Double that left him blitzed. Hongjoong had hardly taken any from Seonghwa after being injured by his ultraviolet weapon when testing his new weaknesses—a shot or less, he figured—and that had left him dizzily drunk.

Seonghwa had taken almost as much as two full feedings’ worth of blood between both bites, by the time he pulled away after the second.

“Oh… I felt something that time.” Seonghwa told him as he licked his lips again, a little sloppier than before.

And then he looked at Hongjoong and just… _ giggled. _

Not laughed. Not chuckled. Not some wryly amused huff or even a thoroughly entertained chortle.

This was a sweet, high, melodic _ giggle _that Seonghwa hid behind his hand.

“Mm, it’s rather nice, actually…” Seonghwa said, making to stand, only to sway on his feet and drop back down onto the bed. “On second thought, perhaps I’ll remain here.”

Hongjoong watched with morbid curiosity, eyebrows arching up toward his hairline. “Seonghwa? You feelin’ good?”

“Oh yes, it’s delightful.” Seonghwa told him, flopping onto his back on the bed and blinking up slowly at the ceiling. “It feels a bit like… floating.”

Hongjoong watched him for a moment as he lifted a hand (clearly with some amount of effort) and wiggled his fingers experimentally. He still looked so stiff and elegant in his usual clothing of choice; a silk shirt and black slacks. He hadn’t even bothered to change for bed yet.

“Hey.” Hongjoong leaned over to nudge his leg, and Seonghwa sluggishly turned his head to acknowledge him. “Why don’t you change into something comfier? If we’re just gonna laze around…”

“Mm, pajamas.” Seonghwa agreed, rolling off the bed and flopping unceremoniously onto the floor.

Hongjoong could do nothing but stare in confusion and shock for several long seconds. What the fuck had just happened?

“That’s not the bed.” Seonghwa grunted, climbing to his feet. “Where was I—? Right, jammies.”

With no small amount of effort, Seonghwa stumbled his way over to his armoire, rummaging through the drawers until he found a pair of button-up cream silk pajamas.

He stared at them for several long moments, as though he were willing them onto his body… or perhaps he’d simply zoned out.

“You, uh… want some help with those, Seonghwa?” Hongjoong asked him, finally.

“Mm.” Seonghwa agreed, waving the lump of fabric in his general direction.

Hongjoong had to swallow down his laughter as he helped Seonghwa into the sleepwear. The top was a bit oversized, reaching halfway past his fingers and draping loosely over his frame. He wondered if maybe these had been ordered for Yunho and had ended up in the wrong drawer.

“There, isn’t that better?” Hongjoong asked, leading him back toward the bed.

“Comfy.” Seonghwa agreed with a slow nod, collapsing face-first into the mattress once they reached it. His next words, a “thank you,” were muffled by the duvet.

Hongjoong rubbed over his back with soothing strokes, watching him curiously. “Can you tell me how you’re feeling?”

“Floating…” Seonghwa murmured airily, turning his face to the side. When his eyes met Hongjoong’s again, he smiled fondly. “You’re so beautiful.”

Hongjoong sputtered slightly. “Psh, you’re drunk. How else do you feel? Other than… floaty?”

“Dizzy…” Seonghwa answered quietly, his gaze losing focus. “But, good. Nice.”

“Good. I just wanted you to feel good.” Hongjoong told him, smiling.

Seonghwa rolled over onto his back, then once more, hugging at Hongjoong’s leg when he bumped into it. “I always feel good when I’m with you.”

“Well, now we know you’re even more of a sap when you’re drunk.” Hongjoong teased, chuckling.

“It isn’t sappy. I love you.” Seonghwa mumbled dejectedly, rolling away. Something must have caught his attention, though… or a thought crossed his mind that he found amusing, because he was suddenly giggling again.

Hongjoong grinned, shaking his head. “Wait here for a second, okay? I’m gonna go get the others.”

“Mm, okay!” Seonghwa agreed easily, rolling around in the duvet to amuse himself.

Hongjoong had to bite back another laugh as he got up, patting Seonghwa’s thigh before heading to the door.

The moment he crossed the threshold, he was booking it down the hall and finally, the stairs. He nearly toppled over as he slammed into the door jamb of the common area, startling several of the others.

“Christ! Where’s the fucking fire, Hongjoong?” Wooyoung snapped, clutching his chest even though his heart definitely wasn’t hammering.

“Upstairs! I mean, there’s no fire, but Seonghwa is _ so _ drunk and you _ have _ to see this.” Hongjoong rushed out, then promptly took off back up the stairs.

The others exchanged amazed—and curious—glances before bolting up themselves. Mingi, San and Wooyoung fought to be first through the doorway, but Yeosang just casually breezed past as they argued. Yunho and Jongho chose to remain out of it, currently deep into a linked Pokemon raid battle on their Switches.

When they arrived in the open doorway of Seonghwa’s room upstairs, Hongjoong leading the way, Seonghwa bolted up in bed at the commotion. He had pulled the duvet over his head, wrapping it around himself like a cloak. It pushed his bangs down over his face, nearly covering his eyes.

“Hongjoongie! You left me! I didn’t know when you’d be back!” Seonghwa accused, puffing his cheeks out as he pouted.

There was a long, drawn out moment of complete and utter silence as the other vampires took in the sight before them.

“Oh. My. _ God!” _ San eventually wailed, shoving the others aside as they moved into the room. “How much did you _ give _ him?”

“Uh… he’s definitely _ gone. _ It took a lot before he even felt it.” Hongjoong explained, somewhat distracted by how Seonghwa was making _ grabby hands _at him to beckon him closer. He went, though, reaching out so Seonghwa could hold one of his hands as he joined him on the bed.

The others followed, watching in rapt fascination.

“Ah, Joongie look, look.” Seonghwa tugged at him, and once he looked over, let him go to pull the duvet up to drape over his elbow, covering half his face as he hissed dramatically. “I’m a vampire!”

When he fell back onto the bed and burst into a fit of giggles, Wooyoung’s own laughter rang through the room.

“Oh my god he’s… he’s _ out of it. _ That’s—” He shook his head, overwhelmed. “Wow. _ Wow.” _

He turned to Yeosang, who was still completely silent as he watched in amazement.

“He’s so cute!” Mingi wailed, rolling him into the duvet and scooping him up into his arms. Seonghwa laughed but allowed it, and when he was finally settled in his grip, he stared up at Mingi with wide eyes before sticking his tongue out at him. “Park Seonghwa, I would die for you.”

“Okay, okay, come on, he’s not a doll.” Hongjoong protested, shoving at the other vampire until he set Seonghwa down. The two of them bickered for a moment while Seonghwa wrestled his way out of the duvet.

Once he was free of it, he rolled away from what he perceived as the warzone, unceremoniously bumping into Yeosang. He blinked up at him, grinning brightly.

“Yeosangie! Make them stop fighting!” He whined, hugging him around his middle.

Yeosang still looked a little shocked as he petted at Seonghwa’s hair, snapping at the others to knock it off. They soon fell silent, watching as Yeosang craned his head down to catch Seonghwa’s eyes again. “Over a hundred years I’ve known you, and I have never seen you like this.”

“Feels nice.” Seonghwa told him, cheek smushed against Yeosang’s thigh. It was unclear if he meant being drunk, or the hand moving rhythmically in his hair.

Wooyoung remained a bit off to the side, but had whipped his phone out to start recording. “If we don’t have evidence of this later, he’ll probably never believe us when we tell him how he acted.”

Hongjoong snorted a laugh. “You’re probably right.”

“I can’t believe this is the same Seonghwa I watched slice off a vampire’s head with a laser sword.” San murmured, awestruck. Seonghwa reached up to poke at his cheek several times.

When San smiled finally, his prominent dimples appeared and Seonghwa cooed, poking at them playfully. “Cutie Sannie…”

Yeosang still seemed a little overwhelmed, still petting at the other’s hair. “Seonghwa—”

“Ddeonghwa!” He quipped back, sitting up quickly and pulling Yeosang’s hand away from the motion.

Yeosang blinked. “H-huh?”

Seonghwa laughed. “I’m _ Ddeonghwa!” _

Mingi, who was watching from Hongjoong’s side, looked as though he might combust at any moment. “I am going to lose my fucking mind.”

“You’re too precious!” San squealed, tackling Seonghwa back onto the bed. He fell against the mattress with a soft ‘oof’, his cheek getting squished into the duvet as San laid on top of him.

“Ddeonghwa pile!” Mingi bleated, throwing himself on top of San. Wooyoung giggled and jumped on as well.

Seonghwa didn’t seem to mind much, resigning himself to being crushed into the bed. He didn’t need to breathe, so it probably wasn’t much of a detriment to his health.

“Whoa, okay, okay, I think that’s enough. He can’t suffocate to death but you could still manage to crush him.” Hongjoong said, pulling them off one by one. “I think we’ve all had our fun, but this is probably way too much. He did this with the hope of getting sleep.”

San and Mingi both gave long, over-dramatic sighs, tumbling off the bed one right after the other, with San landing on top of Mingi. Seonghwa giggled about it, trying to peek over the edge to get a look at them.

“Fine, I guess you’re right. We’ll leave you to babysit.” San grumbled, rolling off of Mingi and getting to his feet.

Mingi turned to Seonghwa, puffing out his cheeks at him and making a kissy face. “Bye Ddeonghwa!”

Seonghwa smiled and grabbed his face, squeezing his cheeks. “Bye Mingi!”

“Take care.” Yeosang said kindly, petting Seonghwa’s hair again. “I hope you sleep well.”

“Good dreams!” Seonghwa piped up, though it was unclear if he was wishing that upon the others, himself, or all of the above.

“Bye, I’ll send you this video, Joong. Seonghwa is gonna freak out when he sees it.” Wooyoung added as he headed out with Yeosang.

“I’m sure he will.” Hongjoong agreed, waving as they closed the door behind them.

“My babies all left.” Seonghwa murmured, pouting a little as he rolled over to look at him from an upside-down angle. “Except Joongie. My favorite baby.”

“Careful, the others might get jealous if they hear.” Hongjoong teased, though he couldn’t help but laugh. He patted his thighs and Seonghwa crawled over, flopping onto his lap.

“Nah, everyone has favorites. _ Everyone. _If they say they do not, they are lying.” Seonghwa told him in an almost sage tone, though the effect was ruined when he laughed and stuck his tongue between his lips.

Hongjoong watched him in fascination. He began to wonder if this was the kind of person that Seonghwa would be free from all worries, all stressors… from the duty of holding the line against the ignorance and hatred of humans, from the burden of his centuries of trauma.

He seemed almost a different person entirely.

“You’re my favorite, too.” Hongjoong murmured, running a hand through the other’s dark hair.

“Am I?” Seonghwa countered, moving a bit sluggishly until he was settled over him, his knees to either side of the hunter’s thighs. His tone was somewhat petulant as he spoke through an overdramatic pout. “Because it felt as though you were ignoring me when the others were here.”

Hongjoong scoffed so violently he almost choked. “Yeah, I was definitely _ not _ ignoring you. Haven’t been able to keep my eyes off of you.”

“Then pay attention to me.” Seonghwa grumbled, running his fingers down over Hongjoong’s chest.

“You’re supposed to be trying to sleep.” Hongjoong admonished weakly.

“Not sleepy yet.” Seonghwa complained. “You could help with that.”

“Could I, now?” Hongjoong drawled suggestively.

“Mhm.” Seonghwa nodded, leaning in close. He licked into Hongjoong’s mouth, and there was something almost _ sloppy _ about it, not at all controlled or calculated. It was _ messy _and needy and the action had heat rapidly boiling up in Hongjoong’s gut.

When Seonghwa pulled back, his eyes fluttered a little as they focused on him once again with a hooded, suggestive gaze. Hongjoong didn’t need to breathe, but he felt breathless regardless.

“Did you have something specific in mind?” Hongjoong asked, his voice low as he let his thumb stroke over the other’s hip.

Seonghwa nodded. “I would like it very much if you would have your way with me, my love.”

Hongjoong’s thought processes screeched to a grinding halt. “Y-you… wait. You mean like… me, fucking you?”

Seonghwa gave a bright smile, nodding eagerly.

“O-oh.”

Seonghwa’s smile fell. “Did you… not want to?”

Hongjoong swallowed. “What? No, it’s just, we’ve never done that before, and you never really brought it up before, either…”

Seonghwa nodded. “Mm. It’s true that I’ve never had the opportunity in my many years. Everyone sees me as the more… dominant party, so I have always given rather than received.”

Hongjoong made a face. “Why can’t you just say ‘I’ve never bottomed’, like a normal person?”

“I have never ‘bottomed’.” Seonghwa repeated slowly, sticking out his tongue.

Hongjoong let out a whoosh of a breath, shaking his head. “So… guess we can get you two new experiences for the price of one, huh?”

Seonghwa grinned. “I’d like that.”

Hongjoong was not a particularly submissive person by nature. It spoke to Seonghwa’s truly imposing, dominant nature that Hongjoong always felt _ lesser _ in the face of it… not for any lack of self worth but simply by what he deemed to be a designation of nature. It was the kind of thing he would have scoffed at before meeting Seonghwa, but _ having _met him, it was impossible to deny it.

But now, that was completely gone.

It was as though the intimidating aura that surrounded Seonghwa even when he presented himself in the calmest manner had evaporated entirely.

Hongjoong leaned up to kiss Seonghwa as he unbuttoned the oversized pajamas he was wearing, taking his time. Seonghwa kissed him messily, with none of his usual precision and finesse. Once all of the buttons were undone, Hongjoong left it on his shoulders, bringing his hands up to run over Seonghwa’s chest. He seemed hyper sensitive to every touch, writhing under his palms and eagerly humming into his mouth.

Seonghwa leaned up a bit to allow Hongjoong to peel off his pajama pants and briefs, immediately settling back onto his lap once he was naked from the waist down. The hunter was still dressed, and Seonghwa trilled at the feeling of his rough jeans against his sensitive thighs as he proceeded to grind above his lap impatiently.

After a long moment, Hongjoong reached for the nightstand, grabbing one of the smaller bottles of lube that was still mostly full. His free hand stroked over the inside of Seonghwa’s thigh, considering.

“Wait… so no one’s done this for you, either?” Hongjoong asked, brushing his fingers lower for emphasis.

Seonghwa shook his head.

Hongjoong’s grip on the other’s hip tightened a little. “Seonghwa—”

The other seemed to sense the weight behind his name, looking at him in concern. “My love, if you didn’t want to—”

“No, n-no, _ god _ no, Seonghwa, it’s just…” Hongjoong sighed, grabbing the other’s hand and pressing a kiss to his wrist. “You’re always taking care of us. All of us. And before me, I know you took care of the others, too, for _ decades. _But we just—”

“Hongjoong…” Seonghwa murmured in a somber tone that matched the way his face had fallen in that moment. “I told you. You are my babies. I love you. I love taking care of you.”

“But you deserve to be taken care of sometimes, too.” Hongjoong mumbled quietly.

“Then take care of me.” Seonghwa rebuffed, equal parts petulant and sensual. He bit his own lip to hold back a giggle.

Hongjoong grinned, nipping his way up Seonghwa’s chest. “I am _ absolutely _going to.”

Seonghwa shivered, then, a soft giggle slipping out between a gentle breath of a moan.

Hongjoong made good on his promise.

He slicked up his fingers, snaking his hand between Seonghwa’s legs to gently move against his rim. He started with just one, which Seonghwa seemed to take easily enough. Other than a soft sound of surprise, he didn’t react much beyond that at first. After a little while, he pressed in a second alongside the first, and then a third.

Seonghwa squirmed in his lap a little, rocking back into the sensation, but he was so _ quiet. _Hongjoong was certain the newness of the feeling was probably closer to weird than pleasurable, since he wasn’t anywhere near reaching his prostate.

“Is it okay? Do you want me to stop?” Hongjoong asked, only for Seonghwa to vehemently shake his head.

“N-no, no, my love, it’s just—” Just. Seonghwa didn’t know how to say. It was just… 

“M’sorry, it’s probably because my fingers are kinda small.” Hongjoong mumbled, grimacing. After a moment, however, he had an idea, and pulled his hand away to lay Seonghwa back, then flip him over. “Let’s try something different.”

“All ri_ —oh-!” _ Seonghwa swallowed his own words when Hongjoong’s tongue pressed inside him between his two fingers, sliding deeper than they could’ve gone at the previous angle. The feeling was so different, and _ new, _if not entirely foreign.

Seonghwa had done this for Hongjoong—for _ all _ of their coven—many, _ many _ times… but he had never had the act returned. Not for any selfishness on the part of his fledglings, of course… he simply never asked. He enjoyed being the one to take care of them in all ways, to watch them fall apart beneath _ him… _it was something he took pride in.

But this… being the one beneath _ Hongjoong, _ at the mercy of _ his _ministrations was… delightful. In a completely different way. He loved to take care of his fledglings. His coven was everything to him. But to be able to let go and allow someone else to care for him for a change was just as wonderful. Heat and pleasure coiled in his gut as Hongjoong worked his tongue deeper, clearly mimicking some of the things Seonghwa had done for him on several occasions. He was a quick study and a clever lover.

Seonghwa could not remember the last orgasm he’d had that he wasn’t in complete control over.

Seonghwa was a paragon of self-control, capable of bending his own body to his whims by sheer force of will alone. Part discipline, part practice… an art he had long since perfected.

Which was why it was so utterly surprising when he felt his own pleasure crest and swell outside of his control, his orgasm washing over him suddenly, before he could even have the consideration of stopping it.

Hongjoong fully _ moaned _against him, his tongue still stroking against his rim as he worked him through it. “Fuck, you like it? Never seen you come so fast before…”

His words were muffled, but Seonghwa nodded dazedly against the duvet. “J-Joongie…”

Hongjoong pulled back with a lewd sound, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand. “More?”

Seonghwa whimpered softly. “Make love to me.”

Hongjoong would have to be some kind of fool not to do exactly as he asked.

He rolled off the bed, shucking his clothes to the floor with prejudice before climbing back onto the mattress and grabbing for the lube.

“Wait.” Seonghwa whined when Hongjoong grabbed his hip, wiggling out of his grasp and turning around. He pushed at Hongjoong until he fell against the pillows, looking a little confused. “Want to see you.”

Hongjoong nodded in understanding and acquiescence, scooting up a bit more against the headboard as Seonghwa knee-walked over him, settling once more in his lap.

He slicked up his cock, taking in the way Seonghwa watched with his bottom lip pulled between his teeth. Once he set the bottle aside, he moved forward a bit.

“Since you’ve never done this before, you should go slow at first.” Hongjoong told him softly.

Seonghwa leveled him with an intense stare, not breaking eye contact as he pressed back and took him down to the hilt in one go.

“F-fuck!” Hongjoong hissed, gripping tight to Seonghwa’s hips.

“Oh…” Seonghwa groaned at the same time, his head falling back a little and exposing the pale column of his throat. He swiveled his hips just a little, trilling at the feeling of it. “O-oh, _ Hongjoong—” _

He said his name as though he’d woven together the concept of pleasure itself, as though Hongjoong had _ invented _it, like some benevolent god worthy of worship and praise. 

Hongjoong could relate to feeling that way about _ Seonghwa _on more than one occasion.

It was several long seconds before Seonghwa shifted up on his knees, then dropped back down. Hongjoong did his best to rock his hips in tandem, letting Seonghwa set the pace.

He wasn’t being quiet any more.

Hongjoong watched in rapt awe as Seonghwa rocked rhythmically in his lap, letting out a litany of soft sighs and gentle mewls, his fingers twitching manically at Hongjoong’s abdomen.

“H-Hongjoong, you feel so good…” He groaned, his tongue flicking out over his lips for a brief second. “Does it feel this good for you? When I am the one—”

He nodded emphatically, grip tightening on the other’s hips. “Yeah, baby, you always make me feel good.”

Seonghwa trilled. “Mm, I like that.”

Hongjoong raised an eyebrow. “What? _ Baby?” _

Seonghwa nodded. “You are _ my _baby… but I like to be your baby, too, like this.”

“Mm, you can always be _ baby, _if you want. I just think I never had the nerve to call you that.” Hongjoong admitted, his eyes rolling back a little as Seonghwa swiveled his hips in a way that was, frankly, unfair.

“Call me anything you want.” Seonghwa rebuffed, swallowing a loud moan when one of Hongjoong’s thrusts sent him deeper inside than before. “Baby. Honey. Sweetheart. My darling.”

Hongjoong snorted, shaking his head. “Somehow, none of those feel right, especially when you say it.”

“My love…” Seonghwa cooed, letting his head fall forward until their noses were brushing. “My everything. My endless horizons. The center of my broad world.”

“Stop.” Hongjoong scoffed, but only because he was embarrassed by just how much he loved hearing it.

“My eternity.” Seonghwa murmured, pressing a slow kiss to his lips.

Hongjoong nipped at the other’s bottom lip, meeting his eyes as he slid a hand between them to wrap around Seonghwa’s cock. His responding words were soft, like a promise.

“My forever.”

Seonghwa shivered, letting out a garbled litany of Hongjoong’s name and several fond nomenclatures as he came, making a complete mess between them. Hongjoong wasn’t far behind, shaking and coming inside, his hips only stilling when Seonghwa settled against him, unmoving.

“Forever.” Seonghwa mumbled after a long, long while, leaning in to kiss him slow and sweet and languid.

“You gonna wanna keep going like this forever?” Hongjoong teased when Seonghwa started grinding against his lap a little.

Seonghwa let his tongue sit between his lips for a moment before answering. “Might.”

Hongjoong raised an eyebrow, hooking his hands under Seonghwa’s thighs and shifting until the other was on his back, Hongjoong hovering over him while still buried deep inside. “I did promise to be the one to take care of _ you, _this time.”

“You did.”

Hongjoong grinned, eagerly taking hold of Seonghwa’s hips. “Then we stop when you tap out.”

And despite the bold claim, he kept his word.

Even later, when they decided a shower was in order before they could even attempt to sleep, Seonghwa did not express fatigue. Hongjoong knelt and held Seonghwa against the tiled wall, legs hooked over the hunter’s shoulders as he sucked him off. He had always wanted to return the favor, to try the one thing that had made Hongjoong fall so hard and fast into the trap that was a pleasure-based entanglement with Seonghwa.

When it was Seonghwa writhing against the wall and coming down _ his _throat, he felt a little thrill of power—and, of course, fondness—at just how far they had come.

***

Hongjoong was sure Seonghwa would be able to sleep soon. He was drunk off his ass, well and truly tired, and he was warm and clean after a nice shower. Wrapped back up in his comfortable pajamas, Hongjoong figured he was going to be out within minutes.

That was until there was a rather rough knock on the bedroom door, followed by a familiar voice.

“It’s me. I just got back and the others said I could find the two of you up here.”

Hongjoong blanched. “Eden? You shouldn’t be back yet—”

“The voting ended early. I’m coming in.” He replied shortly.

“Wait, before you—”

Eden swung the door open and Seonghwa bolted up, rubbing at one eye with his too-long sleeve when his hair drooped too low over his brow.

“Eden! You’re back so soon!” If his chipper tone had not given his state away, the pleased giggle that followed certainly had.

Eden’s brow furrowed. “What the hell’s wrong with him?”

“Nothing, he’s just drunk. He agreed to try my blood, and he took… well, I think he took way too much, he’s been like this all night.” Hongjoong explained. “It’ll wear off.”

Eden hadn’t bothered looking at Hongjoong when he spoke, instead focused entirely upon the way Seonghwa reached for him with nothing short of an eager pout, making grabby hands at him with exactly zero shame.

“Are you here to cuddle with us?” Seonghwa asked brightly.

Eden blinked. “Um…”

“Yeah, I know, it’s an adjustment. The others lost their minds over it.” Hongjoong replied wearily.

“I bet.” Eden mumbled, glancing around before sighing and peeling out of his long coat. “Sure, I’ll join you.”

“Yay!” Seonghwa chirped, clapping his hands together.

Hongjoong scratched his chin thoughtfully. “Actually, could you just keep an eye on him for me for a minute? I haven’t fed in a while and he kinda drained me a bit when he fed from me earlier.”

“Sure, I’ve got it. Go ahead.” Eden replied easily. He understood plenty the consequences of not feeding often enough. He tended to push himself much further than he should ever have risked, especially when on hunts, but Seonghwa had gotten better at noticing it and encouraging him to feed more regularly.

“Joongie…” Seonghwa whined as the other headed for the door.

“I’ll be right back, promise. Eden will take good care of you.” He replied, motioning to the other hunter before exiting the room.

Seonghwa continued to pout until Eden had climbed into the bed, at which point he eagerly crawled over to him and all but laid on top of him, resting his head on Eden’s shoulder.

“Not gonna lie, this is a little bizarre.” He admitted with a soft laugh.

“I won’t make a habit of it.” Seonghwa told him. “The others were worried about me, and I have not slept well. I thought that doing this might ease their minds.”

“Well it sounds like it certainly brought their spirits up.” Eden conceded with a grin.

Seonghwa beamed. “Good.”

“You still haven’t slept, though?” Eden asked. “It’s nearly midday.”

Seonghwa gave a suggestive smirk. “I wasn’t tired right away. Then we needed a shower… and then you came home.”

“Before, did you sleep? The day I left?” Eden questioned.

“For a while. But a nightmare woke me. Joongie told me you carried me up to bed.” Seonghwa said, the tip of his index finger tracing along Eden’s bottom lip. “Thank you.”

“It was nothing.” Eden dismissed. “Anyone coulda done it.”

“But you did it.” Seonghwa reminded. “They also told me they made you second in command.”

“I’m not sure if I agree with that for the long-term, but we can talk about it when you aren’t drunk.” Eden replied, grinning in amusement. “You gonna try to get some sleep soon?”

Seonghwa hummed noncommittally. “Not sure.”

“Didn’t Hongjoong tire you out enough?” Eden teased.

Seonghwa shrugged. “I have a lot of stamina. Would you like to have me in the ways Joongie did earlier?”

Eden could only _ imagine _exactly what that meant. His mind conjured up several images that would have made him blush had he the capability.

“I… don’t think so. This isn’t the real you.” Eden rebuffed softly.

“It is.” Seonghwa countered, grinning. “Perhaps not the parts you find yourself most drawn to, but… a little vampire blood doesn’t change who we are, fundamentally.”

The deeper meaning wasn’t lost on Eden.

“Oh, that was rather existential, wasn’t it?” Seonghwa asked, giggling and curling his hands against his mouth conspiratorially. “I’m meant to be avoiding such talk. At least for tonight.”

“Is that philosophizing I hear? None of that.” Hongjoong protested as he returned to the bedroom. “And look at you! Not even trying to sleep. Get under the covers right now, mister. It’s way past your bedtime.”

“I am drunk, not seven.” Seonghwa protested.

“Well you act seven when you’re drunk.” Hongjoong countered. Seonghwa just stuck his tongue out at Hongjoong before pressing a soft kiss to Eden’s lips and crawling off of him to get under the covers.

“You tryin’ to join us tonight?” Hongjoong asked as he turned off the light across the room.

“Maybe later. I’m gonna grab a shower and decompress a bit. I was hoping to let Seonghwa know about the voting results but he’s in no condition.” Eden answered, glancing over as Seonghwa began drifting off, a somewhat comically tired look on his face.

“Fair enough, I’m sure he’ll be fine by tomorrow.” Hongjoong said. “You should sleep at some point, too. Don’t forget.”

“Yeah, yeah, don’t tell me what to do, punk.” Eden grumbled, offering a dismissive wave as he left the room. “Later. Sleep well, Seonghwa.”

“Mm… bye Eden…” Seonghwa murmured sleepily, clearly in and out of consciousness.

Hongjoong shook his head and climbed under the sheets, pulling Seonghwa in against his chest. He kissed his hair, gently running his fingers through it. Drunk Seonghwa was an experience he wasn’t ever going to forget, and he was a little saddened by the fact that he probably wasn’t ever going to get to see it again.

More than the ridiculous behavior and the new, exciting experiences, it felt nice to have Seonghwa place his trust so willingly in Hongjoong’s hands. 

“I love you.” Hongjoong whispered into his hair, nuzzling gently at the crown of his head.

Seonghwa mumbled something unintelligible in return, and was out moments later.

Hongjoong breathed a sigh of relief, hoping against hope that his sleep would be restful and his dreams would be kind.

***

Seonghwa awoke a little while after sunset. He felt well-rested, but his head was killing him. Blood hangovers were a thing, although they did not come with all the symptoms of a regular human hangover.

Hongjoong was still sleeping soundly in the bed next to him. He was likely completely worn out from having to deal with Seonghwa for so many hours. He couldn’t blame him. He pressed a feather-light kiss to Hongjoong’s cheek, then crawled out of bed as quietly and carefully as possible, being sure not to disturb him.

He found his way down to the feeding room, hoping that a glass of non-vampiric blood would tame the tempest in between his temples. After the first few sips, he felt the feeling fade, and sighed with relief, sinking into his favorite chaise to nurse the rest of it.

“You’re finally up.” Eden commented from the doorway only a few minutes later, leaning against the frame with his arms crossed.

Seonghwa managed a smile, inclining his head. “I am.”

“You were toasted when I got home.” Eden continued. “You remember it?”

“Oh, I can assure you that I remember yesterday’s events with stunning clarity.” Seonghwa told him, setting aside his now-empty glass and standing. “I am certain my fledglings will never let me live it down. But I slept beautifully, so I will count it as a victory.”

“Good.” Eden responded, grinning.

“Well then, how did we fare? In the votes?”

Eden pressed his lips into a grim line, but a smile broke past it only seconds later. “We got our two favorites.”

“Really?” Seonghwa asked, alarmed and suddenly alert. “Gwan and Yang?”

“Yeah. We also _ didn’t _get that Lee bastard.” Eden replied.

“Oh, thank the heavens—” Seonghwa breathed a sigh of relief. “This is… this is a best case scenario, Eden. This is _ wonderful.” _

He crossed the room, pulling the other into an embrace, which Eden returned without hesitation.

“We’ll still have plenty of battles to fight, but this was a victory.” Eden said, muffled into Seonghwa’s shoulder.

“Perhaps it is hubris to feel relief at such a small triumph, but I feel it all the same.” Seonghwa admitted as he pulled back, still holding onto Eden’s arms.

“We have to celebrate the small victories, or else we’ll always feel like we’re on the losing side.” Eden reasoned.

Seonghwa smiled. “You are right.”

There was a brief moment of silence between them where Seonghwa let the relief wash over him and Eden reveled in Seonghwa’s happiness, the two of them grinning at each other like fools.

“I want to thank you, Eden. For everything you have done. This would not have been possible without you.”

Eden shook his head. “I’m only here because you put me on the right path.”

“It was a path you chose to take, all the same.” Seonghwa insisted, his smile so purely effervescent that it was agonizing, knifing right through Eden’s chest.

It hit him just how much this moment meant to him, to both of them… but also, what Seonghwa meant to him.

Eden had never been one to express his needs or emotions. He had buried his feelings for more than half a decade. But even now that he did not need to, he still held back. Even San had taken jabs at him, claiming that for all his devotion, he could not even openly express how he felt. And he was right. But now, he could feel it, as though it would burst out of him at any moment. Just seeing Seonghwa’s joy, feeling some semblance of hope that the utopia they dreamt of was looming somewhere on some distant horizon.

The words came tumbling out of him, unbidden.

“I love you, Park Seonghwa.”

He had never admitted it out loud, least of all to Seonghwa himself.

Seonghwa, who did not appear shocked—just surprised—and clearly happy, by the way his smile softened.

Eden swallowed. “And I know that you won’t ever… return that sentiment, not in the same way. But that doesn’t change the way I feel.”

“Oh Eden.” Seonghwa cooed, cradling his cheek. “It may be so that I share a special bond with Hongjoong, that I love him more than I ever thought was possible for someone as ancient and detached as I. But that bond does not diminish the others that I have in my life. The love I have for each of my fledglings, each member of my coven, is unique. For example; Yeosang, my first… and you, my oldest friend and ally. Do not ever think that your love is not returned.”

“Sometimes it scares me how much I love you.” Eden murmured breathlessly. “For ten years, I’ve kept those feelings locked away, thinking they might just… stop. But they didn’t fade.”

“You speak as a guilty man would.” Seonghwa said, his thumb caressing Eden’s jaw. “There is nothing for you to be ashamed of.”

“I just feel like I… complicate matters.” Eden admitted.

Seonghwa shook his head. “Never. And regardless, you should not feel guilty. You can’t control with respect to whom you fall in love.”

“Quite the statement. And who said that originally?” Eden asked.

“I believe it was… Hannibal Lector.” Seonghwa answered with a small, guilty grin. “However, the point remains. You have nothing to fear, because I could never resent you for such feelings. I will only ever return them with love and understanding, I swear to you.”

Eden managed a smile, more assured than melancholy. “I guess I keep forgetting we’ve got a whole eternity now to work through all of this. My… shortcomings, the mess at the Bureau, Vampire-Human relations, all of it. I think it’s just hard to convert to an immortal worldview when you’ve been living on what feels like a short fuse your whole adult life. Hongjoong would agree, I imagine. Vampire hunters don’t have the longest lifespans.”

“They do now.” Seonghwa replied. “And I know that both of you will use those endless years to accomplish great things.”

“Here’s hoping.” Eden grumbled in a tone full of mirth. “It’ll be a miracle if we don’t end up killing each other over some stupid disagreement in the meantime, though.”

“Perish the thought.” Seonghwa hissed, chuckling a moment later. “Come, we should inform the others of the council changes. Wooyoung may need a little bit of explanation and politics were never Mingi’s strong suit, but the rest of them will be eager to learn of the latest changing of the guard.”

Eden hummed, nodding and following Seonghwa out of the room.

It was perhaps a small thing, in the grand scheme of it all, but it was a new beginning nonetheless, one Eden believed could spark change toward the better.

**Author's Note:**

> As always, you can find me on CC and Twt, @VermillionVamp


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